Monday, May 30, 2011

. . . the Theatre of Dreams - Old Trafford, home of the great Man Utd, 19 times league champions.

It's little wonder the Huddersfield Town kit is so popular when Tesco carrier bags are free!

OT's East Stand filling up with Posh fans.

Away we go with the usual razz-ma-tazz.

The two teams line up in front of the dug-outs. Posh in their new Nike all-black change strip, the Terriers in their blue and white home kit.

Ouch! But true. CMS scores his 99th, and no doubt his final, goal for Posh during the game.

And we're off! Posh are quick out of the traps and press Town during the first half. Second half was all Town until 72 mins played - then the Posh do what we do best - score goals! Three goals in seven minutes and its all over. Posh 3 - 0 Town.

A lap of honour on the final whistle.

A trophy!

Nuff said - Championship here we come! I'm sure all the Championship teams are sleeping well tonight safe in the knowledge that they have six points each in the bank. Our merry band sobered up over a nice dinner (at the Otter in Kegworth) on the way home when we went through the 2011-12 Championship league teams and soon realised that its gonna be even harder going this time round. We're the weakest of the three teams going up (Brighton and Southampton finishing 1st and 2nd) and I hope we can avoid getting fewer than our 34 points from the 2009-10 season - but I'm not expecting miracles!

The sad side of any final - the empty losers end as the victors celebrate. It was nice to see some of the Terrier's fans stay behind and applaud the Posh - well, they let the traffic clear a little at least!

Congratulations to the Posh! And in particular to Darragh MacAnthony and Darren Ferguson - a partnership made in wonderland. Darragh was brave but bring back Darren, but what a stroke of genius it was. Together they've achieved three promotions in fours seasons. The Posh fans just them you both guys!

Barca are quite simply the best team in the world. Rooney's goal could have been the result of a Barca move which they themselves would have been proud. But that one moment illustrates the gulf between not just these two sides, but between Barca and the rest of the footballing world. Whilst Utd can come up with the occasional moment of brilliance, Barce are brilliant for the whole game - a delight to watch even if it hurts!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

I've got at least three broods of fledged Tree Sparrows in the garden the last couple of days. They've even used one of the sparrow terrace nest boxes! Wonders never cease.

Treeps arrived here in January 2003. They'd never been recorded on Farcet Fen before (over 40 years of resident birders living here and no known records before the first of these arrived on the fen). As soon as they arrived I upped the food supply and they'vee stuck with me ever since. Although I have a host of nestboxes up (many upgraded to woodcrete ones last year) they still prefer to nest in leylandii and privet hedges around the houses here.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Sheer jubilation at London Rd last night after we put the Dons to the sword! Here the crowd sing as the players appear in the directors box and rightfully claim their fans' adulation. Bring on Huddersfield Town!